Toyota has long been known as a producer of durable, long lasting compact pickup trucks, yet recent years have seen them rapidly expand the truck line-up. The Tacoma, produced at NUMMI, has been a segment standard for over a decade, with a strong, committed following–especially in the western states. Toyota has recently expanded the Tacoma line-up with the four-door Tacoma Double Cab. The Double Cab is among the best of the pickup-focused offerings on the market.
But to be successful, Toyota needed more than a small pickup. The full-size Tundra has been the most critical step in the expansion of the product line-up. In the span of one year, the Tundra has established itself as a best-in-class, full-size pickup. The division that once fielded a woefully weak T-100 is now, in many ways, the industry bogey. The Tundra has been an important step in increasing the acceptance of Toyota among traditional pickup truck buyers. This acceptance as a manufacturer of vehicles specifically for the U.S. market will be a critical step for the division and the company as a
whole.
Toyota has for some time delivered the Land Cruiser, a strong full-size sport utility vehicle. Over that time, the low-volume vehicle has developed a global reputation for outstanding quality and ruggedness yet sales remained extremely low. Last year, Toyota took another step into the full-size sport utility segment.
This time with a more mainstream product. The Sequoia, a direct competitor to the Ford Expedition and Chevy Tahoe, has proven to be a worthy entry. Built off the Tundra platform in Princeton, IN, the Sequoia delivers full-size SUV
Toyota has also had a long-standing successful (albeit again lower volume) product in the mid-size sport utility segment–the 4Runner. While the 4Runner has never been anywhere near the Ford Explorer in sales, it has a premier 
reputation. The 4Runner has a partner in the mid-size sport utility market, the Highlander. The 4Runner is a body-on-frame, off-road capable vehicle, while the Highlander may epitomize the crossover, unibody based, on-road SUV. While the 4Runner has had a couple of decades to establish its reputation as a leader, the Highlander appears to be quickly establishing itself as the best cross-over on the market. Early reviews indicate that Highlander, like the Lexus RX300 that it shares engineering with, will be the standard to judge future cross-over vehicles. The Highlander and the 4Runner vehicles give Toyota the best mid-size sport utility combination in the industry.
While Toyota has done an outstanding job of growing with traditional truck-like products, it may be the success in those cross-over vehicles that helps the company redefine itself as a top-of-the-line truck maker. In the late ’90s the RAV4 was, much like the Highlander is today, a segment-defining vehicle. Together with the Highlander it gives them a strong pair of cross-overs, and Toyota is not done. The Matrix, a subcompact all-wheel-drive tall car/cross-over type of vehicle will hit the market next winter. While the Matrix is a subcompact sportwagon, the all-wheel-drive and more upright seating position help it to fit in nicely with the RAV4 into this new cross-over segment. The division, once viewed as a marketer of Japanese cars, has done an effective job of transforming into one that has a full range of vehicles for car, truck and all things in between.
Tags: Trucks, Used Trucks
Potholes and public safety concerns may keep large, commercial trucks from parking within the Colusa city limits.
A new traffic ordinance, introduced to the City Council on Tuesday following a public hearing, would make commercial truck parking on Colusa city streets against the law.
No one representing the truckers was present for the hearing.
“I have to assume that the trucking community must approve of this draft, or they would be here to say so,” said Councilwoman Donna Critchfield.
Councilwoman Kay Hosmer said she had received two phone calls on Tuesday from drivers concerned about the financial impact the ordinance may have on customers.
“Someone is going to get hurt,” Colusa resident Pay Myers told the council. “The trucks parked on Tenth Street are dangerous and it’s only a matter of time before we have a horrible accident.”
The new law would restrict any vehicle 8 feet high or more and any that weighs more than 10,000 pounds (gross vehicle weight) from parking along city truck routes on Market, Main, 10th, Bridge and Fr mont streets, and within 100 feet of any intersection.
Commercial vehicles have already been banned from residential neighborhoods.
“The main fact is this is a real safety issue,” said Mayor Robert MacKaben. “Large trucks parked around school zones and intersections are very dangerous. Other drivers can’t see around them.”
Councilman John Rogers said commercial trucks also damage city streets.
“Citizens shouldn’t have to pay for the significant damage to our curbs and gutters,” he said. “This is about public safety and street damage.”
City Police Chief Lyle Montgomery said the station routinely receives complaints about near-miss traffic collisions because drivers could not see around a commercial vehicle.
City Manager Robert Hickey said trucks would still be able to load and unload shipments, but truckers would no longer be able to keep the truck on the street overnight.
Colusa resident Ben Felt told the council that local businessman Ed Hulbert would provide space for commercial truck parking at Colusa Industrial Properties for about $75 per month.
Used or secondhand trucks can be an option for buyers having limited budget, though they may not have highly sophisticated features that are available in the recent ones. A truck is a motor vehicle for transporting goods. The word ‘truck’ comes from the Greek ‘trochos,’ which means ‘wheel.’
Used trucks are often sold as pieces of historical memorabilia and prices of some of these trucks may be higher than those that are currently available. People who own used trucks, and who require cash, can sell their vehicles to dealers. These trucks have costs according to their uniqueness and operational age. Trucks manufactured in the thirties are usually priced higher than are those produced in the fifties or sixties. Moreover, old trucks have prices in the range of two thousand to fifteen thousand dollars. People are delighted in owning and maintaining their old trucks that are great attractions at vintage truck fairs and rallies.
Shopping online is perfect in case of a used truck. There are websites developed and maintained by truckers, which are dedicated exclusively to the trucking industry. It is advisable for a person to search on an advanced search engine to find listings that meet his or her precise requirements; there is also a provision for browsing by category.
When buying comparatively a newer used truck, it is recommended to find one that is less than three years old, if possible. A person can use online finance calculator for getting a good idea of what he or she can afford for a used truck. In addition, it is always beneficial to check the Blue Book price for any used truck that is to be bought. Taking precaution is very important when buying a used truck from a private supplier. Not only this, a purchaser should check the identity of the seller and the truck should be examined by a mechanic. A dealership may offer higher prices than private sellers, but it will come with some type of warranty and onsite financing.
The predictions on doubling of heavy truck production in Russia in 2007 tuned out to be mostly correct. Still, the dynamic growth of sales failed to satisfy the demand - customers had to wait for order execution for months.
The market leaders are now trying to keep and strengthen their positions by expanding Russian production. The growth of Russian economy and construction boom fuel the trucks fleet growth. According to Abarus Market Research, in 2007 total truck market in Russia totaled 327,600 vehicles, a 26% growth as compared with 2006. Heavy truck market grew even faster. Until last year more than half of the market needs was covered by KAMAZ products. In 2007, the demand surpassed the production growth, which translated into changes in the market structure. As a result, 55.6% of heavy trucks were imported from other countries.
Tags: heavy trucks
January 24. /FIS/ In the city of Pushkin near Saint-Petersburg an official ceremony was held to open the production of American ‘International‘ trucks in Russia. The plant will make up to 24 thousand vehicles of model 9800iI per annum. This will be a purely assembling production. The truck price has not been disclosed yet. The project is being implemented by Russian company GoodWill Holding, which earlier acted as a distributor of the US holding in Russia.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol cited Cincinnati-based Rumpke Waste Inc.’s drivers 54 times in 2007 for operating overweight garbage trucks on local roads.
Drivers for Rauch Trucking Co. of Dayton were cited 22 times last year for overweight loads, mostly debris hauled from demolition sites.
Police say these and other repeat violators show Ohio’s fines for overweight trucks don’t have enough teeth.
A truck that’s 20,000 pounds overweight can cause as much wear and tear on a road as nearly 10,000 cars, said Sgt. Dave Waggoner of the Madison County sheriff’s office.
Ohio’s fines for overweight trucks are in the lowest 25 percent of all states, according to a Dayton Daily News analysis of state fines compiled by the American Transportation Research Institute.
Ohio’s fines are slightly higher than in neighboring Kentucky and West Virginia, but are far lower than in other neighboring states.
A truck found to be 10,000 pounds overweight at the weigh station along Interstate 70 in Preble County, for example, would pay $415 in Eaton Municipal Court. But the same overload would result in $1,100 in fines and court costs just over the state line in Indiana. In Pennsylvania and Michigan, the fine for a truck found to be 10,000 pounds overweight is three to four times higher.
“In Ohio, they consider the fines to be the cost of doing business,” Waggoner said.
Rauch said it is drivers, not his company, who are cited. He said it can be difficult to evenly distribute the weight of debris on a truck.
As it replaces trucks in its fleets, Rumpke is spending an extra $12,000 per truck for “tailgate tag axles,” which distribute the weight of the trucks more evenly, Rumpke spokeswoman Amanda Pratt said.
“It’s not something we disregard,” Pratt said. “We’re making an extreme investment to avoid being overweight.”
YRC Worldwide Monday reported a fourth-quarter loss of $735.8 million, or $12.99 a share, as it took a charges on writing down its acquisitions.
The loss compares with net income a year earlier of $46.5 million, or 80 cents a share, YRC said in a statement. Revenue fell 2.4% to $2.35 billion.
YRC had said earlier this month that it expected to take a $700 to $800 million charge for the quarter, primarily related to its 2005 acquisition of USF Corp.
That charge was $782 million for goodwill and other assets related to acquisitions, the company said Monday.
Excluding the previously announced writedown and other charges and gains, YRC said it earned 1 cent a share.
For the full year, YRC lost $638.4 million, or $11.17 per share, compared with earning $276.6 million or $4.74 per share, in 2006.
“The economic environment was challenging throughout 2007 and it was increasingly so in the fourth quarter,” said Bill Zollars, YRC’s chairman and chief executive officer.
“We expect the first quarter to also be difficult given it is seasonally the softest and we don’t anticipate the economy improving in the near term,” he said in a statement. “As the largest [LTL] provider, we are well positioned to benefit from economic recovery, when it occurs.”
YRC Worldwide is ranked No. 4 on the Transport Topics 100 listing of U.S. and Canadian for-hire carriers.
Drivers around the country will see big hikes in toll fees this year for roads, bridges and tunnels, USA Today reported Monday.
The increases come as states endure lean budgets as they struggle to find money to maintain and replace infrastructure, the paper said.
In March, the toll for truckers crossing the George Washington Bridge into New York City from New Jersey will pay $35 in peak hours, up from $25, USA Today reported. Autos’ fees will rise to $8, from $5.
Patrick Jones, chief executive officer of the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, which represents toll authorities, told the paper that Congress’s decision to keep the federal gas tax at 18.4 cents per gallon, which has not changed since 1993, has led to a more reliance on tolls.
The paper cited other planned toll hikes, including:
• The Golden Gate Bridge will boost its toll to $6 from $5 if approved by an oversight board, as well as a possible new toll of $2 for drivers exiting into San Francisco.
• The cost of driving the 157-mile Indiana Toll Road will rise in April to $8 from $4.65 for cash customers, though it will not change for those with electronic i-Zoom accounts.
• In Massachusetts, rates for the Sumner and Ted Williams tunnels in Boston rose to $3.50 from $3 on Jan. 1, and the funds will help pay for the city’s $14.6 billion “Big Dig” project.
• New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) wants to increase tolls on the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway by 50% every four years, starting in 2010, and add an extra adjustment for inflation.
• The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will raise tolls on the Holland and Lincoln tunnels and its bridges by $2 to $10 per trip in March. The state will impose smaller toll increases on nine other New York-area bridges and tunnels on March 16.
• Pennsylvania has asked the federal government for permission to add tolls to Interstate 80. The cost of driving the 316-mile road would be $25 for cars and $93 for trucks. The state will increase tolls on the Pennsylvania Turnpike by 25% in 2009, making the cost similar to the proposed I-80 tolls.
